By NANCY WILSTACH / Special to the Reporter

MONTEVALLO – If you are a fortune teller looking to set up shop in Montevallo, you had best cross that location off your crystal ball.

The Montevallo City Council adopted a new business license ordinance at its Aug. 27 meeting, and one of the changes from the previous version was the elimination of the business classification of “fortune teller.”

City Revenue Officer Debby Raymond said that she did not recall a license ever having been issued for such a business.

During the council discussion on the ordinance, Mayor Hollie Cost reported that the city cannot prohibit so-called “pay-day lenders” from operating in Montevallo, according to the city attorney. “But we can discourage them,” she added. She did not elaborate.

A business license for a pawn shop, title pawn and other lending categories including “short term credit” costs $300 a year under the new ordinance.

Raymond said the new schedule of businesses breaks out types of contractors, instead of a one-size-fits-all classification.  Some of the types are commercial and institutional buildings; chimney, gutter, swimming pool servicing; electrical; flooring; janitorial; masonry; HVAC; roofing; and siding.

Some licenses are flat fees, while others are based on gross receipts.  For example, if you are running a music studio, you pay $150; or a moving company, $100.

However, travelers’ accommodations (including Airbnb, guest houses, tourist homes, cabins, cottages or youth hostels) pay an annual fee based on gross receipts: Under $100,000 carries a $100 license fee, while accommodations businesses bringing in more than $100,000 pay $100 plus .075 percent of gross receipts that exceed $100,000 with a maximum $5,000 total.

Some other classifications paying a license fee based on gross income are restaurants, tire shops, and woodwork factories.

The new ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, 2019.

In other business, the council:

—Postponed adoption of regulations for food trucks operating in the city.

Food trucks (defined as self-contained mobile units selling prepared food or preparing food for sale) have become more noticeable in the city in recent years.

The proposed food truck ordinance was delayed after some council members raised questions.  Councilman Matt Walker asked if it had been discussed with any of the vendors, and, when he heard that it had not, he suggested delaying adoption;

—Approved a request from the Montevallo Development Cooperative District to spend $4,000 on a lodging feasibility study to see if the city could support a hotel;

—Spent $6,986 for four sets of turnout gear for firefighters;

—Doubled the fee on natural gas consumption from 1 percent to 2 percent.  It is added onto consumers’ bills from Spire and is to remain at that level for 10 years.